Switchboard



Aug. 6, 1940. c. P. wEsT 2,210,696

ATTO '2 Y mamadas@ e, reco stares it SiVHTCHEBARD Charles E. West, Forest Hills, lPa., assigner w Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation et Pennsylvania lfilpplication `lune 30, i939, Seriali No. 2823i@ Claims. (ill. ll75-298 My invention relates, generally, to switching stud is rotated by a key inserted through an boards and, more particularly, to dead front opening in the breaker housing. switchboard structures for supporting automatic For a fuller understanding of the nature and circuit breakers of the enclosed type. objects of the invention, reference may be had 5 In Patent No. 2,050,378, issued August 11, 1936 t0 the foilowing detailed description, taken in s to K. C. Randall and assigned to the Westingconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in house Electric & Manufacturing Company, there which: is described a switchboard in which an enclosed Figure i is a view, partially in section and circuit breaker unit is so mounted on a switchpartially in elevation, of a switchboard structure l@ board structure of the dead front type that the constructed in accordance with my invention; lo breaker unit may be readily removed from in Fig. 2 .is an enlarged View, in section, of the front of the switchboard structure without reinsulated floating stud utilized for connecting moving or coming in Contact with the bus bars or the circuit breaker to a fixed terminal stud;

current conductors at the rear of the structure. Fig. 3 is an end View of the stud shown in 2,.

However, in the foregoing structure, it is necesand l5 sary to disconnect the breaker unit from the com- Fig. iS S YJSW, ifi Sid@ elevatOl, Of a iiy which bined mounting and terminal studs which are may be 'utilized for rotating the floating energized by the potential of the power conducn Referring nosT to the drawing, and par tors, the breaker being disconnected by removing to Figlue l, portion of a switchboard s' 2@ nuts from the front end of the studs. During ture shown co ses an enclosed circuit bre@ 2@ the process of removing the nuts from the enerunit an L :it frame member i which may' gized studs, there is a possibility of the operator be an aiigieniron bar, a pair oi insulating sup being shocked or of the loose nuts dropping into ptnmembs which may b@ Secured t@ il S the circuit breaker mechanism, upright member in the manner shown in the it@ Therefore, an object of my invention, generally aforementioned patent to Randall tc support the Stated, is to pmvide n improved Switchbgard breaker unit and a switchboard panel i3 which structure of the type disclosed in the aforemeniS removably attached te a pair of U-shape. tioned Randall Patent No. 2,c50,378. members it by screws i5. Since the general A more specific object of my invention is to switchboard structure may be similar to that ole-- 3@ provide for readily removing switching apparatus scribed in the aforementioned Randall patent, it .30 from in front of a switchboard structure without iS belivef C* be unnecessary t0 Set forth am touching any energized parts. further description of the switchboard structure Another object of my invention is to provide in the present application. for removing an enclosed circuit breaker unit; The structure of the breaker unit IB also will from a switchboard structure without opening 11013 b9 d@Scribid in detail, aS the PTBSED rlVeI1- 35 the circuit breaker case. tion may be utilized with any enclosed circuit A further object of my invention is to provide breaker, 01' other apparat/11S Unit, designed OI for `so mounting a removable circuit breaker Switchbald mOllntng- AS ShOWrl, the breaker unit in a switchboard structure that all parts ot unifi l@ iS Provided With an IlSUlang Casing le,

the electrical circuit are joined by bolted connechal/mg a removable .Cover l?, and an Opeatng 40 tions instead of sliding Contact members requirhandle '8 which prOJeCtS through an Openmg in ing springs or spring material to maintain conthe page1 '3' tact messina Terminal studs 2| are secured to the supportof my 4s isrekg illergal or will be apparent to to power conductors (not shown) which may be In accordance with one embodiment of my im connected to the studs 2| at the rear of the t. Switchboard structure. It will be understood ien on aHFHCIOFed breaker uit Slldes mio P051' that an individual terminal stud is provided for tion on gmde pms supported 1n a switchboard each terminal of the a aratus unit, thus six structure. A oating insulated screw or stud is pp terminal studs 2| are provided for` afthree-pole mounted Inside the breaker hOllSmg and It may circuit breaker unit of the type illustrated. Each be screwed into a fixed terminal stud to draw stud 2| is provided with a head 23 having a the current carrying parts of the breaker firmly tapped hole therein, to which the breaker termiinto contact with the terminal stud. The oatnals are connected. 55

In order that the breaker may be disconnected from the terminal studs 2| and removed from in front of the supporting structure without handling any electrically energized parts, iioating studs or screws 24 are rotatably mounted inside oi' the casing i6 for electrically connecting the breaker to the terminal studs 2|. As shown in Fig. 2, each one of the iioating studs comprises a bolt or screw 25 having a threaded portion 23 at one end and a knurled portion 21 at the otherend. A shoulder 28 is provided vat approximately the middle of the shank of the bolt 25.

The stud 24 is provided with a head 3| which may be composed of insulating material moulded around the knurled portion 21 of the bolt 25. A metal insert 32, having a hexagonal-shaped opening 33 at one end, is moulded into the head 3|. Thus, a hexagon key 34, comprising a hexagon bar 35 and a handle 36, as shown in Fig. 4, may be utilized to rotate the stud 24.

As shownin Fig. 1, the stud 24 floats in the breaker unit, one end being carried by a metal insert 31, preferably copper, disposed in the casing i6, and the other end being supported by the cover i1. An opening 38 is provided in the cover I1 through which the key 34 may be inserted into the hexagon opening 33 in the head 3| of the stud 24.

In addition to the terminal studs 2|, guide pins 4| are secured to the insulating supporting members |2. The guide pins 4| cooperate with the terminal studs 2| in supporting the breaker unit i0. The breaker unit slides into position on the guide pins 4|, thereby aligning the bolts 25 with the tapped openings in the heads 23 of the terminal studs 2|. When the breaker is in position, the hexagon key 34 is inserted into the insulated head of the stud 24 and the bolt 25 screwed into the head 23.

In this manner, a conductor 42, which is connected to the breaker contact members, is drawn firmly into contact with the copper insert 31, which, in turn, is pressed against the head 23 of the copper stud 2| to conduct current from the conductor 42 to the terminal stud 2|. If desired, washers 43 may be inserted between the shoulder 28 on the bolt 25 and the conductor 42.

It will be understood that each one of the floating studs 24 may be screwed into its corresponding terminal stud 2| in the foregoing manner to complete the terminal connections. After the connections are completed, the panel i3 may be placed in position to cover the openings 38 in the breaker housing.

When it is desired -to remove the breaker unit, the panel I3 is first removed, after which the floating studs 24 are screwed out of the terminal studs 2|. After all of the studs are disconnected, the breaker unit may be removed from the guide pins 4| toward the front ofthe switchboard structure. It is not necessary to remove any connections at the rear of the structure or to handle any energized parts during either the installation or the removal of the breaker unit.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided an improved switchboard structure which permits an apparatus unit to be removed easily from in front of the structure without touching any energized parts. Furthermore, all parts of the electrical circuit are securely bolted together, thereby insuring good electrical contact between the separable conductors. Also, the housing of the apparatus unit is -left closed at all times to prevent tampering with the mechanism of the unit and to prevent foreign material getting into the unit.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof,'it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a switchboard structure, in combination, a supporting member, a terminal stud secured in said member, an apparatus unit removably disposed in front of said terminal stud, said unit having an enclosed casing therefor, and an insulated stud rotatably mounted inside of said casing for electrically connecting the unit to one end of the terminal stud and mechanically supporting the casing, said casing having an opening therein for the insertion of means for turning the rotatable stud, whereby said unit may be disconnected from the terminal stud without opening said casing and without loosening the terminal stud from said supporting member.

2. In a switchboard structure, in combination, a supporting member, terminal means secured in said member, an apparatus unit removably disposed in front of said terminal means, said unit having an enclosing casing therefor, and connecting means rotatably mounted inside of saidA casing for electrically connectin the unit tothe terminal means and mechanical y supporting the casing. said connecting means having an insulating head secured thereto, said casing having an opening therein for the insertion of means for engaging said insulating head to rotate the connecting means, whereby said unit may be disconnected from the terminal means without opening said casing and without loosening the terminal means from said supporting member.

3. In a switchboard structure, in combination, a supporting member, a guide pin secured in said member', a terminal stud also secured in said member, an enclosed apparatus unit removably mounted on said guide pin, a connecting studrotatably mounted inside of said apparatus unit for electrically connecting the unit to one end of the terminal stud, whereby said terminal stud and said guide pin cooperate in supporting the apparatus unit, said connecting stud having an insulated head secured thereto, and said apparatus unit having an opening therein for the insertion of means for engaging said head to'rotate the connecting stud.

4. In a switchboard structure, in combination, a supporting member, a guide pin secured in said member, a terminal stud also secured in said member, an enclosed apparatus unit removably mounted on said guide pin, a connecting stud rotatably mounted inside of said apparatus unit for electrically connecting the unit to one end of the terminal stud, whereby said terminal studAand said guide pin cooperate in supporting the apparatus unit, said connecting stud having an insulated socket head secured thereto, and said apparatus unit having an opening therein through which operating means may be inserted into said socket to rotate the connecting stud.

5. In a switchboard structure, in combination, a supporting member, a guide pin secured in said member, a terminal stud also secured in said member, an apparatus unit removably mounted on said guide pin, said unit having an enclosing casing therefor, a connecting stud rotatably mounted inside of said casing and supported thereby for electrically connecting the unit to one end of the terminal stud, whereby said terminal stud and said guide pin cooperate in supporting the apparatus unit, said connecting stud having an insulated head secured thereto, said casing having an opening therein for the insertion of means for engaging said head to rotate the connecting stud, and a switchboard panel removably disposed in front of the apparatus unit to cover said opening, whereby the apparatus unit is removable from in front of the switchboard structure by removing said panel to expose said opening.

CHARLES P. WEST. 

